


jeno, jaemin, and the sun

by sprinklednana



Series: you, always. (nomin oneshots) [19]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Slow Dancing, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, i listened to coeli's nabibighani on repeat while writing this and i have cried So Much, this is nomin's fault for being so soft and tender with each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:15:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27630574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sprinklednana/pseuds/sprinklednana
Summary: The feeling in his heart was tooheavy— too large. If this is what love truly was, Jeno thinks,no wonder.No wonder they write endless songs about it. No wonder they write millions and millions of books, words, and essays about love. No wonder some people spend lifetimes waiting, searching, fighting, longing,yearning.If this is what true love was, Jeno Lee finally understands why the people in history waged wars in its name.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Series: you, always. (nomin oneshots) [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1132373
Comments: 23
Kudos: 199
Collections: comfort tingz !!





	jeno, jaemin, and the sun

**Author's Note:**

> damn that tender handholding shit in that recent vlive, it got me feeling so many goddamn feelings.
> 
> this was inspired by coeli's nabibighani :( i am so in love with that song huhuhuhu (thank you ate ri for recommending ilysm)
> 
> this made my heart ache and it's honestly been a while since i felt this way while writing and just. only nomin can do this to me :(
> 
> i would really like to know what you think about this one! kudos and comments are very much appreciated <3

_It’s okay,_ Jeno remembers saying once not too long ago, _I think I’d be okay if I wasn’t ever romantically loved._

  
  


After years of sidestepping potential relationships and making excuses for all of his _no_ s and his _the timing isn’t right_ s, after years of trying to make sense of what went wrong and what was wrong with _him,_ Jeno finally came to the conclusion that he didn’t quite need _romantic love_ the way some people do. 

  
  


What Jeno truly wanted, longed for, _yearned,_ was to be understood. to be _known._

  
  


He goes back to the time those words rang the truest for him and feels even more— there was no word for it. 

  
  


He thinks of this as he sees Jaemin Na staring out at the ocean, waves crashing against his ankles every few seconds. 

  
  


He watches the way the younger’s honey colored hair get blown by the wind, watches the small smile playing on his lips, watches the faraway look in his eyes, watches the way the large button up is barely hanging on to his frame, exposing his collarbones and his waist from time to time.

  
  


The light coming from the sun hits the side of Jaemin’s face _just right,_ making him look sunkissed and absolutely, devastatingly, _achingly,_ beautiful. 

  
  


There was nothing in the world Jeno Lee wanted more than to keep this exact moment right here. If he could, he’d keep _this—_ the ocean, the waves, the sun, _his Jaemin._ He’d catch them all with his bare hands and store them in a jar. _for only him to keep._

  
  


He hears the laughter of their friends playing in the background, hears an old song playing from Hyuck’s trashy speaker, hears the waves crashing, hears the steady beating of his own heart.

  
  


As if sensing him close, Jaemin turns to him, his smile widening, and it leaves Jeno so so _so_ breathless. 

  
  


He spent years worrying about things like _will I ever find anyone I can tolerate for the rest of my life? Will I ever really love anyone enough to want to spend the rest of my days with them? Will I ever truly_ know _love?_

  
  


_Will I ever be known?_

  
  


And now here he was. Feeling so much love inside his chest, he feels like it could shatter him at any given moment. 

  
  


Jaemin says, “hey, moon eyes.” 

  
  


The younger glances back at their friends and Jeno does as well. 

  
  


He couldn’t help but let out a laugh when he sees Mark being spun around in circles, Jisung and Chenle tightly holding each of his wrists, while Renjun and Hyuck wildy dance to the song, so obviously offbeat that the grin that forms on Jeno’s lips threatens to rip the corners of his mouth.

  
  


When he turns back to Jaemin, the younger is already looking at him, a matching lopsided grin on his face. 

  
  


The younger reaches an arm towards him, “come dance with me too, Jen.”

  
  


He didn’t even have it in him to complain or to tease Jaemin for it. At this moment, in this exact place, there was very little Jeno Lee wouldn’t do if Jaemin Na asked him for it.

  
  


He takes slow strides towards the younger, not minding that his legs were getting wet from the ocean’s waves.

  
  


When Jaemin is finally within reach, Jeno gently embraces him, wrapping his arms around the younger’s waist, like he’s wanted to do all morning. 

  
  


The younger laughs, low and quiet. _like a secret between jeno, jaemin, and the sun._

  
  


With all the care in the world, Jeno slightly pulls away, taking both of Jaemin’s hands and guiding them to rest on the back of his neck.

_“Hm?”_ Jeno asks.

  
  


_“Hm.”_ Jaemin answers back, smile smaller. _but still true, still honest._

  
  


Jeno’s arms find themselves back around the small of the younger’s waist, pulling him so close, Jaemin only needed to move slightly to press their foreheads together. 

  
  


And just like that, they slowly move to the new song playing from the trashy speaker. An even older song. 

  
  


Jeno couldn’t remember its title, but he recalls a vague memory of his grandmother humming to this song as it plays from her radio.

  
  


Jaemin rubs slow circles at the back of the elder’s neck. 

  
  


And just like that. The world wasn’t so big anymore. 

  
  


Suddenly the world was just his grandmother’s song, just the sound of their friends’ laughter, just the warmth of Jaemin skin under his touch, just the sight of Jaemin’s smile.

  
  
  
  
  


_“The universe feels too big sometimes,” Jeno says once on a particularly bad day, “does it even matter what I do? Do_ I _even matter?”_

  
  


_Jaemin took a while to reply to him. In the darkness of the room, as they lay side by side under the thick sheets, Jeno thought he was already asleep._

  
  


_But a few minutes later, Jaemin whispers for only Jeno and the night sky peeking through the window to hear. “It matters to me.”_

  
  


_Jaemin shuffles, body turning to face the elder. There was movement around the bed, until Jaemin’s hand finally found Jeno’s. Slowly, the younger laces their fingers together._

  
  


_“I can’t speak for the whole universe, moon eyes. But you matter to me.”_

  
  
  
  
  


“Thank you,” Jeno couldn’t help but say to the Jaemin now. 

  
  


_Thank you for today, for the past days, and for the days to come. I didn’t need to be loved. Being respected and being understood was enough, but_ god, _because of you, I am respected and understood and loved._

  
  


_I’ve conditioned myself to being fine with never being truly known, but with you, it’s like I am being seen and being touched for the first time in my life._ known. 

  
  


He wants to say all of these words, but the sound wouldn’t come out of his mouth.

  
  


He doesn’t have to. In the way Jaemin leans forward to press a kiss right at the mole under his eye, he knew the younger heard every single word.

  
  


All at the same time, he feels hot tears form on the corners of his eyes and a laugh threaten to erupt straight from his chest.

  
  


The feeling in his heart was too _heavy—_ too large. If this is what love truly was, Jeno thinks, _no wonder._

  
  


No wonder they write endless songs about it. No wonder they write millions and millions of books, words, and essays about love. No wonder some people spend lifetimes waiting, searching, fighting, longing, _yearning._

  
  


If this is what true love was, Jeno Lee finally understands why the people in history waged wars in its name.

  
  


Gently, he presses a kiss to Jaemin’s lips. _So_ _warm and so true and so sweet and so honest,_ Jeno would fight a million wars for it. 

  
  


When he pulls away, there’s a look of wonder in Jaemin’s eyes. At the first second, he wonders if the younger can feel it too. And at the second that comes after, he thinks, of course, _of course he does._

  
  


The younger rests his cheek on the elder’s shoulder, face tucked against his neck. 

  
  


_I’m in love with you,_ Jeno wants to say, but what comes out is,

  
  


_“Marry me?”_

  
  


There was silence for a few seconds, but there was no worry or tension in Jeno’s body. He closed his eyes and rested his head on top of Jaemin’s. He feels warm tears fall from the younger’s eyes to his neck. 

  
  


They don’t stop. He merely runs a hand back and forth along the younger’s spine.

  
  


At this moment, nothing else mattered. 

  
  


He doesn’t know how much time has passed before Jaemin whispers a soft “of course.”

  
  


At this moment, the entire universe was nothing else but the sun. _the ocean. the waves crashing against their ankles. the sand beneath their feet. just jeno. just jaemin._

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!! <3
> 
> You can also ask me questions in my [cc](https://curiouscat.me/sprinklednana) or [twt](https://twitter.com/sprinklednana?lang=en) if you want!
> 
> I also made a [ko-fi](https://ko-fi.com/sprinklednana) and i would really appreciate it if you supported me there :(


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